Faculty & Staff

Fern Silverman, BS OT, EdD, OTR/L  received her BS in Occupational Therapy from the University of Pennsylvania and her masters and doctoral degrees in education from the George Washington University and Arcadia University, respectively.  Her doctoral dissertation work examined occupational therapy service negotiations in educational settings, and she has worked extensively in school-based programs providing OT services.  Dr. Silverman teaches courses in the MOT program that focus on clinical conditions, applied development, and occupations, particularly as they impact children.  She also teaches an on-line course on environmental adaptations. 

Current interests include school-based OT service decision-making, inclusion in school settings, community outreach, and universal design.

Sample Publications

Silverman, F. & Kolody-Cost, M. (2004). Let’s Get Ready:  A Developmental Motor Program for OT and Speech. Linguisystems, East Moline, Il.

Silverman, F. & Millspaugh, R. (April, 2006). Physical Proximity of Occupational Therapy and Learning Support Instruction: How Room Sharing Can Promote Collaboration for Professionals and Success for Students. Teaching Exceptional Children Plus, Vol. 2, Issue 4.

Silverman, F. & Kolody-Cost, M. (April 17, 2006).  Let’s Get Ready. Advance for Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Vol. 22, No. 8.

Selected Presentations

2008      “Occupational Therapy Practice:  How is it Changing in US Schools?”  Seminar given for the OT department of LaTrobe University in Melbourne, Australia to departmental faculty, OT clinicians, and students

2007     “A Study of Occupational Therapy Service Negotiations in Educational Settings”. Presenter at the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association state           conference, Harrisburg, PA.

Recent Research Grants

(2005-7) Promoting Inclusion Through Occupational Therapy. PA Dept of Education.  Facilitated inclusion of students with disabilities in typical classrooms through implementation of OT strategies and universal design principles. (Total grant:  $15,000).